News

Through supporting students this year, the Student Services/Counseling Center has found that anxiety is a topic that many of our students experience. This is a common experience for many in our community in 2018. To address this need and to raise awareness about the topic, we have set this as the topic for our January Parent University. We are extending to our students two opportunities to see the film the week after the Parent University viewing.

“Angst” discusses from a student, professional, and parent perspective the growing issue of stress, anxiety, and depression in teenagers across the country, what it looks like, and what is being done to address it. A link to a preview for the film..

We are excited to announce that we will be holding an optional screening for our middle school and high school students the documentary “Angst”, two different days the week of January 29, 2018. Each screening will be followed by a 30 minute debrief and discussion session led by our counseling team.

Our goal for of showing this film to Middle School and High School students is:

Increase awareness of anxiety

Give students resources for when they themselves feel anxiety

Assist students in the development of healthy coping skills

While this is an optional viewing, we do encourage students to attend. Parents wishing to screen the film first can do so at the Parent University: Student Anxiety being held on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 8:30 AM. To RSVP for the Parent University please click link below. Please take a moment to discuss this opportunity with your student and if it is something you would like them to take advantage of this year.

VLA Job Readiness Workshop Sign Ups! Read the VLA Job Readiness Flier to find out about our workshops that will qualify your student for attending career speakers or a job shadowing experience!

We need supplies for our students store! Please take a look at the Student Store Google Doc, sign up and deliver after break! Student Store Google Doc. We have raised over $500.00 so far this year!

Coming Soon!- Parent University- Student Anxiety

We invite you to attend this important event on Student Anxiety on Saturday, January 27th from 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM in the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center Located on the Blackrock Campus. We will be viewing the documentary "Angst", holding a panel discussion on anxiety, and finishing the morning with a breakout session for parents to connect and obtain resources. Information regarding registration will be available and sent out on January 3rd. Be on the look out for registration. Seats will go fast! Questions please email Jason Molay at jmolay@natomascharter.org. Due to the material being discussed and goals of the event, this is a parent only event

Extra Review Workshops Before Finals! Mark your calendars. Ms. Eichner is offering a few extra opportunities for students to review for the History, Gov, and World Geo finals! World Geography Review Workshop on Jan 4th 2:30-3:30pm in D2, World History will be on Friday Jan 5th 12:55-1:55 in D2, US will be normal time on Wed Jan 3rd 1:10-2:10pm in D2 and Government will be normal time on Friday Jan 5th 9:35-10:35 in D2.

Natomas Charter School and Virtual Learning Academy Spirit Wear: Order Now! Check out the Spirit Wear Google Doc for options and links for ordering!

Parents! We need help staffing two workshops for our students during our VLA Job Readiness Program. We need someone to cover the interview process and work related dress/behavior! You know, all those tips and tricks that you don’t know until you have done it! Each workshop is one hour long. Email Kspall@natomascharter.org if you are interested in helping us.

FINAL Schedule: please check this schedule and plan transportation for your student’s final. Students should not be on campus if they are not in a workshop or studying. Students who are talking or not working, will be sent home.If a VLA final conflicts with a PFAA final, they will need to arrange another testing time with their PFAA teacher.

Spring Workshop Schedule and Grade level meetings times! Please note that there are a few time changes. We tried to keep the changes to a minimum. Students will be notified if they are in Health A or Health B. All workshops are mandatory.

TESTING INFORMATION: Please schedule your tests as soon as they are assigned. Signing up early is necessary to ensure that a proctor is available and there is room in the computer lab. If you do not sign up for a test, we cannot guarantee a time and space for you. If there are no available time slots open for you to take the test, you will not be allowed to take it. No testing at lunch.

Math Tutoring: If attending Math Lab is not enough, you can sign up with Mrs. Gurpreet for one on one tutoring! See the signup sheet on her desk in the CL or email her.

College applications workshops for Seniors! See this link for information!

TESTING INFORMATION: Please schedule your tests as soon as they are assigned. Signing up early is necessary to ensure that a proctor is available and there is room in the computer lab. If you do not sign up for a test, we cannot guarantee a time and space for you. If there are no available time slots open for you to take the test, you will not be allowed to take it. No testing at lunch.

Math Tutoring: If attending Math Lab is not enough, you can sign up with Mrs. Gurpreet for one on one tutoring! See the signup sheet on her desk in the CL or email her.

SPECIAL NCS EVENT!

JOB SHADOW Committee Meeting! Do you want to help with our job shadow program? Meet up with us at 2:00 on 12/4. We will be discussing what students need to know, picking dates for workshops, and talking job shadow placement.

A Christmas Carol December 1, 2017 at 7:00 PM

The Natomas Arts and Education Foundation will be providing complimentary cookies, coffee, and hot chocolate to all NCS families who attend. Tickets are usually $12 for students/seniors and $15 for adults. At NCS night, we are offering you a Buy One, Get One offer for all tickets purchased for that performance. You can purchase tickets online at www.benarts.org using PROMO CODE: WeAreNCScc2017 . In our version Ben Scrooge is 18 years old and he is the youngest and richest teen in the world. Ben and his late, best friend, Jake Marley invented a wildly popular and excessively violent video game app called “Stoopid People.” Ben, who has isolated himself from anyone who cares about him, keeps his wealth to himself and refuses to help those in need.

Speak Up Survey. We use this information for technology planning at Natomas Charter School. You received an email message from Mr. Wood on November 13th via School Messenger with details on how to complete the survey. If you have any questions please let him know at jwood@natomascharter.org

Semester 2 Electives! Students who still need to select an elective for semester 2 will receive an election selection form on Monday from Mrs. Del Monte. Please make sure that it is returned before Friday. The Course Descriptions may be found online!

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a NCS Knight at the the Kings on Monday, February 5th. The Kings will be playing the Portland Trail Blazers at 7pm at the Golden 1 Center. Tickets are $25. Come see our students from different academies perform the pregame show, national anthem, and halftime show. Questions please contact Jason Molay.

To order tickets please complete the attached form and submit it to your main office by January 5th.

College applications workshops for Seniors! See this link for information!

Parent Help Needed!

Ever wonder why VLA does not have a parent group? So did parent Danye Chasse and I. We decided to partner and give it a shot! Come to the first ever Parent Action Committee (PAC). Hear from Dr Ting Sun about the NCS partnership with parents and help us plan our first big P.A.C event. These events will support our students in being ready for job interviews and (hopefully!) result in a summer job fair at VLA. All are welcome! I value your time, so we will start and end on time or early!)

Saturday is Landscape Beautification Day from 8:00 AM – Noon. This is a perfect opportunity to earn some parent hours while the NCS Community. All you need to bring is a pair of work gloves. The money saved when we don’t have to pay a landscaper to help keep our campus beautiful, is money we can spend on our students!

We Need Snack Bar Items! Did you know for every case of Kirkland Vitamin water that you donate we make $24? That almost doubles your donation amount! We are in need of Kirkland Vitamin Water Zero, Multi Grain Sun Chips, and Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars. What if you don’t shop at Costco? Vics Kettle Korn Popcorn or Whole Grain Pop Tarts from Amazon are great options. All of these items fit into the Federal Food guidelines.

News and Updates

PFAA Minimum Day 10/30: VLA DOES NOT take minimum days! If your student takes a PFAA class, they should compare schedules to see if the PFAA minimum day schedule conflicts with VLA courses. If they do, please make arrangements with PFAA teachers to make up the work. PFAA minimum day schedule here.

Strong Youth Strong Community : Natomas Charter School is participating in the Greater Sacramento Urban Leagues Strong Youth Strong Community event on Thursday, November 9th, 2017 from 4 PM - 10 PM. Join the Greater Sacramento Urban League at the Strong Youth Strong Communities for an interactive session with Pro Football Hall of Famers as they share their real-life experiences that led to success on and off the field. Then it's your turn! SYSC allows teens to share their view on how to build stronger communities by participating in breakout sessions with Aeneas and Darrell chatting about issues that are important to you today. Participating youth will also attend the Sacramento Kings Game after the summit. Students interested in registering should contact Mr. Molay in the Student Services Office or by emailing him at jmolay@natomascharter.org. Deadline to register is Tuesday, November 7th.

Has your student been recognized outside of school for their achievements or met an important artistic, athletic or personal goal? Let me know about it so that I may recognize them on our school Facebook page. I love to brag about our students.

New Clubs and Groups

LGBTQ+: This inclusive club is a place for LGBTQ+ students to share their experiences and concerns in a safe environment. We also focus on proactive ways to connect with others and connect with community resources. Students who are curious or want to better understand the LGBTQ+ community are welcome to attend our meetings.Our next meeting will be every other week starting on 10/02/2017 during lunch in Mrs. Spall's office. Bring your lunch.

Reminders!

Bring your friends to VLA: We will have a 1-2 spots at the 9-11th grade levels at the semester. If you have friends who are looking for a change, provide them with Mrs Spall’s email address so she can set up a tour!kspall@natomascharter.org.

Parent Hours: Does your student belong to a team or community group outside of school? Invite Mrs Spall to a parent meeting or opportunity to share information about VLA. We are starting our recruiting process for the Spring and 18-19 school year. 2 parent hours for each engagement.

College visits continue this week with UC Irvine, New York University and Washington State University. Pick up permission slip from student services.

Ds and Fs: Letters are being sent home to all students with a D or F. How can you support them? Each Monday help them create a daily work plan based on schoology. Provide parental accountability at home for turning in assignments. Look at the office hours document for Math Lab, Spanish Lab, and Open Science Lab. You may also attend your student’s next AC meeting or request a meeting with any teacher to discuss student progress. We have seen great success for students who follow through with these suggestions.

Individual AC Meetings and Grade Level Meetings are required by law for Independent Study. If you miss more than one of these, you risk being disenrolled by VLA. Don’t forget your signed grade report!

Locked Assignments/Blank Documents: If students turn in a blank document, they will receive a zero and may result in a detention.

Tardies: Being tardy disrupts the learning environment. Teachers will provide students with a detention on their third tardy. Students will receive a detention on the third tardy to class and for every tardy thereafter through tardy #10. Tardy #11 will result in a either a an assignment of behavior intervention.

Grade Level Information

Seniors: Email Mrs Suzanne Shenk-Tiffany to set up an appointment to discuss post high school plans. Parents are invited!

Sophomores and Juniors: PSAT for all PFAA and VLA 10th and 11th graders on Wednesday October 25th, 2017. All 10th and 11th grade students are automatically registered for the PSAT. This test is free for all 10th and 11th grade PFAA and VLA students. Students will be notified about their testing room as we get closer to the testing date. The test will start at 8:30 AM. Please plan to arrive by 8:15 AM. You should bring pencils and a calculator. Calculators are not required but recommended.

Sophomores and Juniors PSAT Workshop FREE!The Student Support staff will be offering a PSAT Score Review Workshop for students and parents to support you in understanding the PSAT scores.This workshop will take place in January or February. Please keep an eye out for emails regarding the PSAT Score Review Workshop date and time. If you have any questions please contact Jason Molay, Academic Counselor at 916-928-5353 Ext. 1034 or by email at jmolay@natomascharter.or

We have some events coming up related to college/career readiness to help assist your student.

On October 25th we will be giving all 10th and 11th grade students the PSAT. There is no need to sign up and no cost to the families. This practice test for the SAT college admission examination is very helpful by giving students feedback related to their current levels of performance in math and critical reading. PSAT fact sheet gives you more information regarding the PSAT. More logisitical information about this exam will be coming home later this month.

In a few weeks on Saturday, Sepetember 23rd the Kaplan company will be holding a mock PSAT to give students more exposure to the test. This will be held from 9am to 12:30pm in the MPR. This is free to all and we have 75 tests available. Students can sign up through the google form that was emailed to them or you can sign your student up by emailing me at : sshenk-tiffany@natomascharter.org.

Lastly we have many colleges/universities who are visiting out campus in the next few months. Some are visting for the first time.

Most of these visits take place at 11:40am (PFAA advisory time). Please see list here. Also check back regularly as colleges are being added throughout the months. To attend a college visit students must obtain a permission slip in the student services office or from the student services website.

We need ice cream! Check out this link for donations needed for our Social next week.

Congratulations to Freshman, Morgan who won our “Work Flow Raffle”.

Congratulations Ameilah Losefa who is our VLA Community Member of the month! Ameilah has been supporting her peers by asking them if they need help, showing them how to submit work online, and going out of her way to make sure all students feel welcome in our community!

Locked Assignments/Blank Documents: If students turn in a blank document, they will receive a zero. Students who do this over several classes/weeks will get a detention. Please schedule your work so that you can turn assignments in on time and complete.

Tardies: Being tardy disrupts the learning environment. Teachers will provide students with a detention on their third tardy. Detentions for tardies will be served on Wednesday mornings before school in D-2 8:45-9:15. Students who miss workshop activities due to a tardy may receive a reduction of points. Students who arrive late will need to contact the teacher after the workshop regarding any missing notes or activities.

Do you have an IEP? Warmline is hosting an event to support them in participating in the IEP process. Follow this link for information and registration information!

Picture Day! 9/18 10:30-11:30 Order forms for school photos are available in the VLA office. You can order online before picture day at mylifetouch.com. Our picture day id is CR027863Q0. We will walk all of our students over at 10:30. Be on time!

Juniors/Seniors: Interested in going to Boston University? They are holding an info session in San Francisco! Check out the flier at this link and direct any questions to the website listed on the flier!

Dual Enrollment information!If your Junior has ever wanted to take electives not offered at school like Astronomy or Nutrition, consider dual enrollment. High school students have the opportunity to take community college classes through a program called Advanced Education. In the junior class meeting Mrs. Shenk Tiffany reviewed the 5 step process to sign up for a class as well as showed them the paperwork that is required.

We know that Senior year can be a stressful time for your family. To support your students through graduation and the college application process, we provide workshops, classroom help, and individual counseling. Below are upcoming dates and events that your Senior should be aware of!

Senior Meeting 9/8 12:25-1:55 (may run late!)Attendance is MANDATORY for all Seniors !

Parents are welcome to attend. Please RSVP at kspall@natomascharter.org.

Cap and Gowns, Class Rings: We have a representative from the company that supplies invitations, cap and gowns, and class rings coming to the Senior meeting to talk about ordering and prices. All information will also be sent home in next week’s family email.

College Application Process: Mrs. Shenk-Tiffany will be discussing the testing and college application processes. Her presentation and information will also be provided to parents via email.

Historically Black Colleges and University Fair Field Trip: If you are interested in finding out more information about the 51 HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) see Mrs. Shenk-Tiffany on Thursday, September 14th to the HBCU college fair here in Sacramento.

Senior College Workshop: If you are planning to apply to a private college/university for next fall please come to a "Common Application Workshop" next week led by our college and Career Counselor in the Media Center. (see below for dates/times) You may attend one or all of them!

College Application Essays: Starting week 8 the Senior English class begins an Expository Reading and Writing Unit entitled, "Life After High School". By the end of November, we will be writing and editing personal statements for applications.

Individual Meetings with the College and Career Counselor: Mrs Shenk-Tiffany meets with each of our Seniors one on one during their Senior year. If a parent would like to be a part of the meeting, please email Mrs. Shenk Tiffany to schedule an appointment that will work with your schedule! sshenk-tiffany@natomascharter.org

Financial Aid and Community College Information: This information will also be addressed at Senior Meetings! (see below for dates)

Senior Trip: Last week, I hosted a Senior Parent meeting to discuss Senior Trip. We need your help! Senior parents AND Seniors need to fill out this survey about the Senior Trip. We would like everybody to have input!

Senior Portraits: Senior Portraits are taken on campus in a cap and gown. You do not have to do anything for this. Your student will sign up for a day and time. This portrait will be used in the yearbook. You are also welcome to schedule senior portraits outside of school for your personal use.

Senior Pages in the Yearbook: Senior parents and Seniors will be given an opportunity to purchase a special page in the yearbook. Dates and information to come, but start looking for those cute (and embarrassing?) baby pictures.

Graduation: Graduation takes place on Saturday morning June 9. There is a short cupcakes and cookies reception afterwards. Specific times will be forthcoming/.

If your family has qualified for free or reduced lunch in the past, or you think you may qualify now- please take a few moments to complete the form through Natomas Unified's program. Many of our students receive free or reduced price lunch but the school also receives additional funding, even if you never eat our lunch. You need to complete this form every year, even if you have qualified in the past. If you have questions or need additional help, your adviser can complete the form with you in your next advising meeting.

We are excited to announce that Natomas Charter School has partnered with Skillify on the development of a Student Career and Leadership Conference on Saturday, August 26th from 10 AM - 2:30 PM at the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center. At this half-day conference students will spend time hearing from professionals in a wide range of fields, learning networking techniques, developing and polishing a resume, and creating a LinkedIn profile. The goal of this event is for students to learn the crucial professional skills needed to explore their interests, develop better communication skills and professional etiquette, and feel more confident in their ability to interact with community members.

Natomas Charter School is very excited to be offering this event for all 11th grade students. While this event is not mandatory it is highly encouraged for all Junior PFAA and VLA students to attend.

Natomas Charter School and Skillify Present:

Networker Conference

Saturday, August 26th, 2017

10 AM - 2:30 PM

Benvenuti Performing Arts Center

Notes for the event:

Dress attire is business casual for the event. Lunch will be provided. If you have a laptop please bring it (fully charged). If you do not have one a Chromebook will be provided to you. Please bring your phone with you. You will be using it during the mock interview portion of the event.

Please RSVP by Thursday, August 24th, 2017 by checking in at the Student Services Office or emailing Jason Molay at jmolay@natomascharter.org. Once we have received your RSVP you will receive two forms to complete and sign prior to the event.

This year, we will be asking that students attend grade level meetings. These provide a great opporunity for team building, college preparation, and guest speakers. Please keep the following dates on your calendars! They are mandatory and count as an AC meeting.